By Andria Cheng

Reuters

Rana Plaza factory collapse

Five months after the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,000, worker issues remain a hot topic in the South Asian country as workers staged protests for a fourth day on Tuesday demanding higher wages.

The demonstrations, with thousands of workers demanding their monthly wages more than double to $104, had forced 400 of the country’s 5,000 clothing factories to close Monday, Bloomberg News reported.

At least 70 people have been injured in the protests, Bloomberg reported, citing an assistant superintendent of industrial police. The country’s shipping minister said he’s asked the country’s Minimum Wage Board to submit a new worker salary structure to the government by November, a month earlier than the previous deadline, Bloomberg reported, adding factory owners at a Sept. 17 meeting proposed increasingly the monthly basic salary by 20%. The country last raised its minimum wage in 2010.

International players have pledged better working conditions for the country’s workers after the April factory collapse and a deadly fire last year shed spotlight on the country’s garment industry. Retailers including H&M and U.S.’s Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
/quotes/zigman/167627/quotes/nls/anfANF and PVH Corp.
/quotes/zigman/5785329/quotes/nls/pvhPVH have signed on to a European-led and legally binding accord to improve worker safety and worker rights, followed by a separate U.S. led effort that’s not legally binding.

Student groups’ efforts have been successful in the past. Nike was among the first to list factories that made its collegiate apparel after student protests at Harvard University and other colleges, the Journal reported, adding Adidas last April also agreed to compensate 2,700 workers owed severance pay after an Indonesia clothing factory making its clothes closed.

Apparel executives have eyed higher clothing costs next year, citing factors including compliance costs in the wake of the Bangladesh tragedy. The tragedy also has given fair trade fashion new momentum.

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About Behind the Storefront

Behind the Storefront is a blog about all things retail. It’s aimed at investors, shoppers and anyone else with a passion for learning about what drives consumer behavior. Hosted by Andria Cheng, Behind the Storefront will cover the business, brands and shopping behavior that’s behind some of the biggest companies, and largest employers, in the world. You can reach Andria at Acheng@marketwatch.com.